Dear WUU community, How are you all doing with this latest round of Covid news? We hope you’re keeping safe and well. The Delta variant is very concerning, but we’re hopeful that with some adjustments to our Covid safety protocols, we can still go forward with our plans to more fully reopen the campus next month. We have updated the WUU website with a concise list of the current safety protocols. Last week, we consulted with WUU’s Public Health Advisory Task Force, Dr. Camilla Buchanan, Dr. Chris Llewellyn, and Dr. Susan Marcinkus, on what we need to do to keep… by Katrina Landon, WUU Board President This past Monday evening I hosted a Zoom gathering for the Presidents of our Tidewater Cluster. Everyone was appreciative for the opportunity to connect and share experiences related to the pandemic and reopening plans. Interestingly, all our sister congregations have had the same struggles we have had regarding what, and when, is the best way to reopen. Like us, some would have liked to have opened months ago, while others prefer to wait until conditions were optimal. Most of us have plans to start back with a hybrid service starting in September while others… by the WUU Reopening Task Force Dear WUU Community, We rejoice with you that, as local conditions and vaccination rates continue to improve, it’s time to start reopening our campus to in-person gatherings on Sunday mornings! As we move in that direction, we are taking great care to consider the different ways that each of you are responding to the pandemic, and want to make sure that we are creating a welcoming space for everyone. In this post, we’d like to share with you: The principles and values that have guided our planning Results from the congregational survey on reopening… Don Bolinger Leslie Cadell Bowie is a native of Baltimore, MD who has (unexpectedly) lived in VA for decades. Living in Gloucester Point, Leslie was founder/administrator of the Montessori School of Gloucester; many education jobs followed. Now living at Williamsburg Landing where her husband resides in Memory Support, Leslie is active in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the Landing and the Williamsburg Walk. While living in Williamsburg from 2010 to 2017, Leslie attended WUU and met old friends there, always found comfort and is now glad to be part of the congregation. Jennifer Carter grew up in… June 2021 Dear WUU Community, At our last board meeting I was elected WUU Board President for the 2021-22 term. I am deeply humbled by the level of support I have received as I attempt to quickly learn the responsibilities of the office, and as I begin to lead the Board though the challenges facing our congregation brought on by the global pandemic. Please extend grace and compassion to the Board, as we tackle the complexities of reopening our spiritual home. To that end, if you have not done so, please respond to the survey sent by our reopening task force so that it will… by the Journey to Asylum team A huge thank you to all who volunteered to provide childcare and transportation to M’s children for April and May: Jessica Bacon Kim Barbarji Cynthia Bickey Martha Elim Fred Gilbertson Carolyn Greathouse Helen Hansen Nan Hart Jess Hench Chris Lewellyn Kirstyn McArdle Jessica O’Brien Bev Peterson Jane Reilly Amber Spicer Trenna Tankersley M could not have started her new job without their help. M has been very successful at her job, impressing her co-workers with her work ethic. She has been promoted from dishwasher to prep chef. Our team is working with her to… June 2021 Dear WUU Community, Last month, I got to see my best friend, real and in person, for the first time in over a year. Just getting to hug her was amazing. I get a bit teary all over again just thinking about it. My fervent hope is that you too have been able to savor reunions like this. It’s been a joy to hear from many of you about visits and vacations with family and friends. What a difference from last summer, when we mostly cancelled our plans and hunkered down and got used to being isolated and alone as the pandemic… by Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education At the New Orleans General Assembly in 2017, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Commission on Institutional Change was established and charged by the UUA Board of Trustees to conduct an audit of white privilege and the structure of power within Unitarian Universalism, and analyze structural racism and white supremacy culture within the UUA. Last June, the COIC published a report of its findings called Widening the Circle of Concern. Since then, our WUU Board and Program Council leaders have been studying the report and starting to make changes in our own congregation. Over… by the Soul Matters Sharing Circle team We all are playing. Playing it up, playing it down, trying to play fair. Playing for keeps, playing favorites, playing it safe, sometimes too safe. He plays hardball; They’re playing house; I’m playing it by ear, or at least learning to play it by ear. She’s tired of playing second fiddle; He’s playing right into their hands. Please God, can’t we all just throw out the playbook and start again? Sometimes we’re just played out; it’s not always bad to play possum. And what about playing with fire? Let’s hope so friends. Don’t… General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Attending a UU General Assembly is an amazing experience and should be on everyone’s UU bucket list. This year, GA will be fully virtual, and WUU covers registration for our delegates to attend. Rev. Laura and Austen will be attending online. WUU has 5 slots allocated to congregants. Please contact board@wuu.org ASAP if you are interested in serving as a delegate online. Please check out the site at https://www.uua.org/ga for much more information!…
August 8, 2021 An Update on Covid-Safe Gatherings at WUU
President’s Message
Summer Reopening Plans
Meet Our Newest Members!
President’s Report, June 2021
Journey to Asylum Update, June 2021
Notes from the Minister, June 2021
Directors of Religious Education Combat Racism
What Does It Mean To Be a People of Play?
A Delegate’s Guide to GA 2021
